AMOK TIME

THIS IS ONE OF THE TEN BEST TREKS!

GUEST STARS...

Celia Lovsky, Arlene Martel, Lawrence Montaigne.

PLOT SUMMARY...

Spock's mating urge propels him to his home planet of Vulcan.

QUICK SCAN...

This episode features the first and only trip to Spock's home planet Vulcan during the original series. Celia Lovsky impresses as T'Pau, the female ruler of Vulcan. As T'Pring, Spock's bride to be, Arlene Martel ("Demon With a Glass Hand"), is challenging and exotic. Kirk's battle to the death with Spock is unforgettable!

SYNOPSIS...

Aboard the Enterprise, Spock begins to act very strange. He yells, and even throws soup at Nurse Chapel! After much prying by Kirk, Spock reveals that he's experiencing pon farr, the Vulcan need to mate, which comes every seven years.

Spock and gang arrive on Vulcan. His bride to be doesn't want Spock. As part of the Vulcan law, Kirk and Spock fight over T'Pring, Spock's gal. Spock "kills" Kirk.

Back on the Enterprise, it turns out Kirk wasn't dead, just knocked out by a shot McCoy gave him. Spock is very happy, briefly smiling. K TIME

The Review...

Director Joseph Pevney's, AMOK TIME, is a fascinating look at the inner workings of Vulcan culture.

Writer, Theodore Sturgeon, earns a warm place in Trekker's hearts for his detailed look at Vulcan mating habits. Watching the usually controlled Spock wig out over primal drives makes for tasty Sci-Fi entertainment.

The Vulcan leader, T'Pay, is played by Celia Lovsky. Her advanced age, thick accent, and stiffness are the grand matriarch of Vulcan.

Dr. McCoy plays a key role in Kirk's "death" and resurrection. Although the viewer knows, somewhere in their mind, that Kirk is not truly gone, the death scene has impact. tThe clever way "Bones" McCoy faked Kirk's demise, (the ol' phony tri-ox injection scam), is appropriately audacious. We were tricked, but our intelligence was not insulted.

When a desire-crazed Spock "kills" Kirk, it snaps the Vulcan out of his ancient sex trance. Under Director Pevney's firm hand, Nimoy presents a super nova of sober resignation and cold sorrow. Later, the uninhibited smile that the stoic Vulcan briefly flashes, when he realizes his friend and superior officer is not dead, burns up the screen.

AMOK TIME should be highly watchable for most Sci-Fi viewers. Spock fans may spontaneously go into pon farr.